Another mid-'90s album, another artist who only managed to leave us 1 studio album before being taken way too soon. The most striking thing about Jeff Buckley for those first hearing him is his voice. It's evident from the opening seconds of the album, when you hear that keening wail fade in at the start of "Mojo Pin" & realize it's coming from a human throat. Jeff's vocal technique was magnificent: a round, full chest voice with a dramatic delivery, a versatile falsetto & jazz-inflected phrasing. Granted, sometimes he comes a little close to ridiculousness with his attempts to be emotive, but his sincerity & conviction keep him on the right side of the self-parody line.
But Jeff was more than just a voice: the songwriting here is consistently impressive, from the complex chord progression in the title track's pre-chorus to the tricky rhythms of "So Real" to the classy, unobtrusive string arrangements (by Karl Berger) on songs like "Last Goodbye." The original songs here have a dreamy, romantic mood without losing their rock & roll energy. The atmosphere is so pervasive that the bass-driven, sludgier hard rock of the late-album "Eternal Life" feels incongruous, despite the songcraft being up to the album's overall standard.
Furthermore, Jeff was more than just a voice & a songwriter: he was no slouch on the guitar either. From delicate picked figures to distorted squawks & squeals, his playing runs the gamut but is never less than interesting. It's natural to praise the guy whose name is on the album cover, but I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the solid work of his bandmates, bassist Mick Grondahl (who kills it on "Last Goodbye") & drummer Matt Johnson (whose best work is on "Dream Brother"). Rounding out the creative team is producer Andy Wallace, whose work here is subtle but appreciated. I enjoy this kind of drum production: it's halfway between the splashy reverb & obnoxiously tuned toms of '80s arena rock & the skeletal dryness of grunge. Details like Gary Lucas's processed seagull-sounding "magical guitarness" (as it's credited in the liner notes) of "Mojo Pin" add to the gauzy atmosphere. The guitar being mic'ed at the sound hole in addition to amp/line in (not sure which) adds an extra maraca-like percussive element to the rhythm guitar on "Last Goodbye," which echoed when the tambourine comes in. Then on "Lilac Wine" when the band enters after the sparse intro, the phasers & brushwork turn it into the smoky jazz ballad that song always wants to be.
Speaking of "Lilac Wine," I haven't yet discussed the 3 covers--or really standards. The album's most famous song is its version of "Hallelujah," which I used to love & still really enjoy, although Jeff leaves out the most affecting verse from Cohen's original: "Even though it all went wrong, I'll stand before the lord of song/With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah." Similarly, though Jeff does a great job with "Lilac Wine," it will never stand up to Nina Simone's version. These days, my favorite of the non-originals here is "Corpus Christi Carol," where Jeff employs his impressive falsetto on a spacious yet intimate trip back in time via jewel box of mysterious medieval beauty. I close my eyes & get Arthurian vistas.
This is one of those albums where I can't really add anything to the general consensus. I hope I've done a good job at least pointing out specific things I like instead of "y'all, this album is really good." But like, y'all, this album is really good. You should check it out if you haven't.
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